Part 94 (2/2)

No cloud veiled the unbroken calm of the starry heavens. The silver moon looked silently down, flooding hill and dale in her pale, clear light, s.h.i.+ning like chastened noontide upon that sequestered hollow and the strip of open glade in the centre, where stood two men pointing their weapons at each other's hearts. It will soon s.h.i.+ne upon a ghastly stream of ebbing life-blood, crimsoning out upon the dewy turf. One of those two men must die here. Which will it be?

”One--Two--Three!”

A double report, but sounding like a single one, so simultaneous is the effect. A dull, thundrous echo rolls sullenly along the face of the overhanging cliff. The smoke lifts slowly, and there is a sickly, sulphurous smell mingling with the cool, fresh air. Both men are standing motionless, waiting for the second signal. As yet both are unhurt; Truscott heard his adversary's ball whiz very close past his right ear, but his own shot was wider.

Again the signal is given. This time it is Truscott's left ear which feels the close proximity of the lead; and but for the fact of his own bullet ploughing up the ground some forty yards off, he might as well have fired with blank cartridge for all the apparent effect. His wrath is terrible, and blazes forth in his livid, distorted countenance and staring eyes. He can see that the other is a dead shot, and is, as yet, merely playing with him. And mingling with his wrath is a chilling misgiving; and as he stands fronting his opponent's pitiless eyes, he is almost unnerved. Fury, hate, and even despair, are stamped upon his features; the perspiration lies in beads upon his forehead, for he feels that opposite to him stands his executioner. Claverton, on the other hand, is dangerously cool, and his eyes gleam with a deadly purpose. It is a scene of horror, this drama being enacted in the moonlit glade.

The dark object overhead has disappeared from the cliff.

”Be jabers, but ye'd better knock off now,” exclaims the Irishman, in grave, serious tones. ”The shots make the very divil of a row, echoing among the rocks. We shall have a patrol down on us directly, or a host of niggurs, an' I don't know which'd be the worst.”

”Has he had enough?” asks Claverton, in a cold, contemptuous tone, turning his head slightly towards the speaker.

An imprecation is the only reply the other vouchsafes, and again they exchange shots. Truscott, who is quite off his head, blinded by his helpless rage, blazes away wildly. But he feels his adversary's ball graze his right ear, exactly as the first had done, and his adversary's face wears a cold, sinister smile.

Three shots have been fired. The next three will be at a shorter range.

”Haven't you two fellows peppered each other enough?” asks McShane.

”Well, if ye will go on ye must,” he adds, receiving no reply. ”It's at twenty yards now.”

The distance is measured, and again the two men stand facing each other.

Claverton, watching his enemy's features, can see them working strangely in the moonlight, and knows that he would give all he has in the world to be safe out of it. In other words, he detects unmistakable signs of fear; but it does not move him, his determination is fixed. He will shoot his adversary dead. He has, as Truscott rightly conjectured, been playing with him hitherto, and also with the desire to allow him every chance, but the next shot shall tell. He will have no mercy on this double-dyed traitor, who has sneaked in treacherously in his absence, and placed a barrier between him and his love.

No, he will not spare him. This time he will shoot him dead; and Truscott reads his doom in the other's eyes, as once more, with the distance diminished between them, they stand awaiting the signal.

”One--T--!”

A terrific crash bursts from the brow of the overhanging height, and Truscott, with a spasmodic leap, falls backward, as the red jets of flame issue forth, to the number of a score, from the rifles of the concealed savages. Claverton feels a hard, numbing knock on the left shoulder, as he and the doctor rush to the side of the fallen man.

”Truscott, man, where are you hit?” is the letter's hurried inquiry; but as he lifts the other's head he is answered, for it lies a dead weight in his hand. A dark stain is oozing forth upon the moonlit sward, welling from a great jagged wound. The ”pot-leg” has gone clean through Truscott's heart; and now, as McShane lays down his head, the glazed eyes are turned upwards to the sky, and the swarthy face is livid with the dews of death.

”He's dead as a door-nail, bedad,” said the doctor. ”And it's ourselves that'd better be lavin', and that mighty quick, or we'll get plugged, too.” Even while he spoke the leaden messengers were whizzing about them with a vicious ”pit--pit!”

Truscott, as he had said, was dead as a door-nail, and it was clearly useless to remain. And now came in their foresight in keeping their horses close at hand. Loosening the terrified animals, which were snorting and tagging wildly at their bridles, they mounted and dashed off at a gallop just as a number of dark forms issued swiftly and stealthily from the bush to cut off their retreat, while the enemy on the cliff kept up a continuous fire. Two or three a.s.segais were thrown at them; and then the Kafirs, who could now be descried pouring down the rocks in swarms, seeing that they were well mounted, and the ground ahead was fairly clear, relinquished the pursuit.

”An' didn't I tell ye that we should have the niggurs down upon us?”

cried McShane, turning in his saddle to look back at the peril they had so narrowly escaped. ”That poor divil's lost his number anyhow, and it's glory be to the blessed saints that we're not lyin' alongside of him.”

”I rather think I'm hit, too. My arm feels as if it was going to drop off,” said Claverton, quietly. But he was deadly pale.

”Hit! are ye?” rejoined McShane, with an anxious glance at him. ”Well, hold up till we get back to camp. It may not be very bad after all. Is it in the shoulder?”

”Yes, I think it's only a spent ball. The bone isn't touched.”

”Faith, and ye'd better have knocked off and come away when I first spoke. That poor divil would be alive and well now.”

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